HEARTLESS
by KIRd
Summary: Post Chain of Memories. Can someone without a heart actually feel real love? Riku discovers the limits of Heartless even if it risks his own life. On the other end Sora is revealed the cards to Riku's memories. How will it affect him?


_Space is full of many secrets that man, since the beginning, tried to understand. Now with the advanced technology we are able to experience space to the fullest. Space itself though doesn't answer the questions of some men. Sometimes we have to look within ourselves for answers. Look to others for advice. Space is less than we think of it. We are apart of space itself yet why go far out to even different galaxies and worlds when all our answers lie within ourselves?_

_I have for so long urged to venture out and leave my birthplace. For too long I have breathed in the same salty air. For too long I have seen the same things. I felt trapped in a loop. Ever since Kairi first came to the island I've began to wonder of a world, of a life, different from my own. I wanted to see the things she saw, experience the things she had experienced. I was jealous. I've asked her many times to describe to me what her life was like before coming to the island. She could never remember._

_The feeling burned inside me. It was like an unhealthy lust. That lust caused me to lose more than I bargained for._

_I have seen new things._

_Experienced new situations._

_Yet what I really wanted to find out I've never was able to answer._

_If I didn't leave. If I only would have stayed. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so empty…_

:"How long do I have to sit here?" The voice rang unpleasant in the pilot's ear.

"Till we get there." His voice was also unpleasant to her.

She folds her arms in scorn, sitting back in her seat. She took her eyes off the back of the pilots red head and began to look around for something interesting to do. She eventually laid eyes on a reading Vexen. She wondered how he could read like that: tucked away in the shadows of the cockpit.

She made a squeaky noise, leaning forward in her chair. She smiles,

"Tell me again why we're going back to Castle Oblivion?" her voice was annoyingly

pleasant which made Vexen pick his head up from his book.

"That's where my lab is." He began,

"I need to do some," he paused to turn a page,

"some tests…" the voice lingered away. That book was more important to Vexen than this conversation.

"Oooh. Tests." She said in sarcastic glee. Sinking back into the leather cushion of the seat she laid both her arms on the arm rests. She immediately took away her left arm looking down at the armrest. The person who sat next to her still was in that same position. Hood on, head down, body slumped over. He looked as though he was in a daze. The lights outside the window looked quite grim falling on this guy.

She took it upon herself to get to know the man.

"Hey, new guy!" She didn't even know his name. Her eyes looked away from him. Didn't she just talk? Why isn't he saying anything back? Or even looking up to see who was talking to him? He made her feel like an idiot and this angered her.

"What? Are you deaf, too?" She snaps.

"Leave him alone Larxene." shielded Vexen.

She turns to look at the face that was still in the shadows. surprised that now he wanted to talk to her she replied sarcastically,

"Hm. Yes. Like you said. Don't mess with the test subject." She added,

"Right, Vex?"

She looks away from Vexen ending the conversation.

" That's only a side effect of the test," Vexen still talked.

"He will be blind only temporarily."

The nosy pilot glanced a look at Vexen then back to the screen. Larxene pretended she didn't hear that. Glancing over at the depressed body of the man sitting next to her she said,

"I know you Vexen. You and Ansem are known to do the craziest things, being mad scientists and all. But what drove you to go this far? Damaging a subject." she felt him emerge from the safety of the shadows.

"You're acting like he's a broken test tube. It isn't my fault his body couldn't take it."

Larxene looked at him.

"Look. I don't know. There was something he had that I wanted. It's hard to explain to you, Larxene,"

Larxene turns away. She hates when people think she can't understand things.

"but I couldn't stop. I just kept going…"

the seriousness in his voice made her look at him again. His long bangs covered the shape of his two eyes as he looked down at himself.

"This guy?" Larxene asks pointing with her thumb.

"What's so special about him that you want to work him till he's blind?"

"The Red Enigma is what's so special, dear Larxene." He said looking up at her.

"What? The Red Enigma?" she whispered to herself. She hated feeling like someone was better than her, getting attention from the Red Enigma.

"So you could say I was ordered to do what I did, but I couldn't refuse. He is the perfect test subject." She started up again,

"so does that explain why he freaked out the way he did? And why we're going back to Castle Oblivion? Because the baby was too scared to take his shots, aww."

A sudden rush went over Larxene. She found herself pinned in her own chair. Her arms began to burn. She looked down. The gloved hands were still gripping down on her limbs. She yelled out hiding her pain,

" What the hell is wrong with you?" She began to struggle.

"Shutup."

The intensity of the voice made her stop and look up into the white face, the black blindfold:

"I'm tired of being screwed around with." The burn had gotten deeper.

"I can hear every word you say." he lets go of Larxene's arms, turning to Vexen,

"I am no ones test rat." Vexen glances at a crooked grin emerging from under the blindfold.

"And I am not blind, you bastards." Turning back over to Larxene, with one hand he unravels the cloth from the back of his head. Lifting a few strands of hair out of his eyes he says,

"I see fine."

Larxene didn't back down that easily.

" Hm." She holds up her fingers to her chin and mimicked a face Vexen would make at his perfect specimen.

"I'd like to test that theory."

knowing she'd get pounced on again she braced herself, standing up. He grabbed her sleeve.

"You want some of this as well!"

Vexen steps in.

"Riku, this behavior is unacceptable!" He lets go of Larxene. He stares over her head glaring into nothing.

"Larxene, please. No more."

"Calm down old man. I won't break your play thing." Riku felt her hand push back his bangs that fell back on his face. She held up her pointer finger up to his eyes. Slowly she began to move it from side to side. From one eye to the other.

"Try to keep up now…"

Her menacing face softens as her eyes uneasily looked away from Riku's. She composed herself and forced out a smirk. "Ah-ha-" echoed through her mouth. Her finger disappears to the one side of the pale face.

"Riku. Calm yourself." Vexen says.

"You stay away from me-" backing a few steps towards his seat he turns and gave himself an examination.

Vexen stared at him waiting. He saw Riku's hand flash across his face a few times. His hand clutched his eye. The vision in his left eye was completely gone.

"Riku?"

"Don't you dare." His voice rocked the area..

"Don't any of you dare! Leave me alone!" He turns quickly to leave the small cockpit room into the wide hallway.

A pull on his arm caused him to scream.

"Why do you run?" This voice was different. A deep voice yet it was comforting to hear. Riku looked down at his outstretched arm. The black hand blended into his dark sleeve. The small slit of flesh that shown from the end. He looked up into the face.

"Axel?"

Looking back down he whispered.

"Axel, let go."

"Is it because you're afraid?" Axel continued.

"Afraid to face reality?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Let me go, damnit!" He pulls but of course it didn't work against Axel's grip. Riku wanted to get angry yet Axel knew the secrets. He was the only one that consoled him when he was in pain. Axel was the only one who cared.

He pulled Riku closer.

his voice lowered.

"Just tell me a reason."

Riku avoided eye contact from him. He wanted to tell him but not with Vexen and Larxene standing there, despately trying to hear.

The grip slightly loosened on his wrist. Axel's voice kept him from escaping.

"Half the reason why you're here in the first place…" he began,

"…is because you didn't give _him_ a reason."

Something snapped inside Riku that gave him the courage to glare up into Axel's face.

"What?" He easily took back his arm.

"You know nothing about Sora and me."

He made sure Axel locked eyes with him one last time. Like he was given permission he turned and unlatched the iron door into the hallway.

Axel looked on staring at the long sliver strands of hair which wipped the air as Riku sprinted down the hall.

He decided not to follow him this time.


End file.
